Children's Museum signs 90-year lease with Navy Pier

The Chicago Children's Museum has agreed to a long-term lease to stay at Navy Pier.

The Chicago Children's Museum has agreed to a long-term lease to stay at Navy Pier. (Nancy Stone)

Dahleen GlantonTribune reporter

The Chicago Children’s Museum on Monday announced a new lease with Navy Pier, securing a home at the waterfront park for the rest of the century.

Under the 90-year lease agreement , the children’s museum will expand in size from 57,000 square feet to 84,000 square feet, museum officials said in a news release.

The deal lays to rest a controversial and long-delayed plan promoted by former Mayor Richard M. Daley to move the museum to the northeast corner of Grant Park. Mayor Rahm Emanuel shot down the $100 million proposal in January when he signaled that it was time to hit the “reset button” on the divisive issue.

“I congratulate Navy Pier and the Children’s Museum for their long-term commitment to each other and, more importantly, to Chicago’s families,” Emanuel said in a statement. “The museum’s expansion will serve as a strong pillar in the redevelopment vision for Navy Pier to remain a world-class destination and an attractive public space for the growth of cultural and commercial partners.”